On the road again..……………..

This time we’re hitting some of the breweries in downtown, historic Sanford, Fl.  The plans are to stop at #16 and #18.  A and C are breweries that were not open when the map was printed.

Most people aren’t aware that Sanford was at one time the top-producing area for celery, starting in 1896 – 1974.  This was when the Agriculture industry dominated the area.  Not so much any more.  Sanford sits on the southern shore of Lake Monroe and their downtown has had a renaissance and is truly a happening place to be with breweries, restaurants and shops popping up all within easy walking distance.

It was one of those places we began our day – Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café.

They specialize in German food and quite frankly, it is THE place to be during the World Cup.  They opened in 2001 when the Sanford downtown area was just beginning to grow and thrive, starting with 7 employees and now have 90+.  Our lunch began with the pretzel appetizer and I can’t believe it…………….I didn’t take a photo!  😦  One pretzel was definitely enough to stave off any hunger pains before our meal arrived.  Two guesses who is drinking the coke.

Unfortunately Germany was already out of contention before our visit, but there was still quite a large presence for the final game between France and Croatia.

Eric was rooting for France and when the team made their first goal, anyone supporting France was invited to drink from ‘the boot’.  Needless to say, Eric joined the group.  I don’t have any great photos, but the left photo is Eric getting the boot to drink from and the right photo he’s  handing off to the person next to him.  They did several rounds before the boot was finally emptied.

We all stuck with German selections for our meal.  I ordered the Nuremburg sausages with cucumber dill salad and sauerkraut while Eric got the Jaeger schnitzer with cucumber salad and red cabbage.  Everything was delicious but the pretzel left little room for me to enjoy my selection – maybe next time.

We left with France ahead, walking to our first brewery of the day – #16 Sanford Brewing Company.  The first thing you see on their website is “Old Florida in a new way”.  I like it.  The 100-seat taproom has a craftsman or mission-style feel to it, a nod to what was found in a lot of houses in Sanford.

We enjoyed our beers and they have a 5 oz pour (yeah!) but there was no level of World Cup excitement and when France won the World Cup, no one noticed, except us.

Interesting view of their taps, but LOVE their growler!  What an interesting shape.  Yes, Adrienne got one to add to her growing growler collection and so did we.  🙂

Seven hours later (yes, can you believe that – 7) we ultimately had dinner here before driving home.  We all really enjoyed their fish dip.

The rest of their food was ho-hum.  Nothing really wrong with my burger or their wings, but we wouldn’t do a repeat.

Down the block, across the street is #18 Wop’s Hops Brewing Company.

As the window states…….this was the first microbrewery in Sanford, opening in October 2014.  It’s located in a building that formerly housed the Stokes Fish Market.  Love that the side of the building still has this mural.

The building was constructed in 1916 and is haunted by 5 spirits – check it out by googling it.  They specialize in English-style ales, American IPAs, German lager & ales and seasonal experimental fruit & spice ales.

They have a full kitchen offering appetizers (pretzel nuggets), salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, wings and more.  THIS is where we should have eaten.

Since we were in Sanford, it was recommended we stop at Deviant Wolfe Brewing Company (A)- even though I don’t need a stamp.

They don’t serve food but you can order from surrounding restaurants and eat-in.  Their beer is brewed with fresh ingredients, rotate seasonally, specialize in sour beers (yuck) and have guest taps for cider and offer wine.  Yep, Adrienne added another growler to her collection.  This brewery is the result of 4 friends that met at University of Florida.  I wasn’t too impressed when we walked inside, but their website was intriguing.  Their vision is ‘Promote balance in the lives of others.’  They chose a campfire for their logo since a campfire is a place to gather, share stories, immerse in nature and find balance – now that’s a story.

 

Our last brewery to visit was Inner Compass Brewing Company (C).  They need help with a website – just saying.  This is another location that is not part of my 18 breweries to visit since they were not open at the time my map was created.

This place used to be an abandoned gas station in Sanford, but I had to really dig to find that nugget of information.  They opened in February 2018 and don’t serve any food but encourage you to bring some and eat in.  I think I have to agree with Eric, their milk stout was possibly my favorite of the day.  That’s saying something since usually halfway through our brewery stops, all of the flavors blend together – at least for me.  And really, who could refuse a beer that is called “Meh?”

This brewery was recommended by a couple we kept running into, while doing the Sanford ale trail.  While the building is well done, they didn’t appear to be open – which was exactly what the couple said.   There’s nothing outside or easily seen inside to draw you in on a whim.  I would guess that quite a few people walk right past.  Another growler for Adrienne.

I did see one thing that is the prize for stopping at all of these breweries……….Central Florida Ale Trail growler!

Forgive the funky lighting.  I tried to get the photo between light changes from their back-lighting, but no luck.  After getting a stamp at all 18 of the breweries on my Central Florida Ale Trail map, I get the growler, filled with my choice of beer.  Now that’s a prize worth drinking for.  🙂

 

Ginny

Glancing back through some photos, I realized I totally forgot to post this page.  Bok Towers is a pretty cool place to visit and gives a glimpse into old Florida.  It is located in Lake Wales, Florida, built upon one of the highest points of peninsular Florida, called Iron Mountain.

I’ve visited numerous times through the years but it is really catering to the needs of the community and building upon its initial foundation more so than ever.

The garden entrance sets the stage for your visit.  Fountains and a wall of air plants is one of the first things seen. This visit was about meeting friends at a midway point, my aunt joined us and got some exercise along with fresh air.

While this display wasn’t anything special, it did add a special touch for those visiting the gardens that day, knowing the names of flowers that were blooming.

The entrance also houses information about the tower, its construction and the carillon inside.

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There probably could be an entire post just on the construction of the Tower and Gardens, but for those really interested, just google it.  However,  I felt a few facts were warranted, so here you go.

It was built in the 1920s by Edward Bok and dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge.  It was designed as a ‘contemplative garden and bird sanctuary’ on the original 250 acres.  Marble from Georgia and Coquina from north Florida are the two primary materials that decorate the actual singing tower that house the carillon. There’s so much more to say, but unless you’re really into the history, writing about this gets kind of dry.

Walking towards the tower surprises abound and are spread through the uphill walk.

Occasionally the tower peeks out between the foliage and it can generally be seen throughout the garden as you walk to the highest point.

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The 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco tower houses one of the world’s finest carillons with daily concerts.  While guests can no longer go inside the tower – unless by special arrangements – inside are 7 levels, which houses a library, a research center, maintenance & equipment storage with the ground level being called ‘The Founder’s Room’.  There are 4 carillions in Florida, approximately 200 in North America and 600 throughout the world.  Of course, now I’m curious where the other 3 are.

Part of Bok Towers Gardens also includes the nearby Pinewood Estate.  While built in the 1930s, it was acquired by the Gardens in 1970 and allows visitors to enjoy the 12,900 square foot Mediterranean-style home.  Inside is lovely and while mostly a self-guided tour, docents are in several rooms to answer questions.

Before ending our visit, we walked the 3/4 mile Pine Ridge Nature Trail. It was quiet, peaceful and nature-centric,  of course.

Our last stop in the gardens was the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden.  This probably impressed me the most.  They have numerous activities to engage kids and parents alike or just use the time to sit and enjoy being outdoors.

 

This quote from Edward Bok was a  nice way to end the tour and this post.  Spending time at Florida’s other attractions allows you to see another side of this state before Walt arrived.

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, we’re on the trail for ale.  The goal is #9, #14 and #2 on a sunday afternoon.  Man!  My husband is so glad that Adrienne got me drinking craft beers.  Amber, IPA, Imperial, growler, bomber, hoppy, malty – I can almost ‘talk’ the craft beer lingo.  🙂

Seems like hitting 3 breweries in an afternoon is a good plan.  Any more than that and it all tastes the same, at least to me.   The Hourglass Brewery had options for food, so that was the driving goal for our first stop, heading towards Longwood.

Actually, it’s not the brewery that has food, but the adjoining taco bar – Wako Taco. They’re in the same strip mall and the wall between the two establishments is open, making for easy ordering – smart from both sides.

We got several types of tacos, some ‘naked’ and others fully loaded.  The pork was my favorite, but we also tried the carne asada.  The inside lighting turned the food and blue corn chips a funky color, but regardless, we still ate them.

Well, there’s just a little problem for me………I don’t like the taste of cilantro.  So while the photo doesn’t show a lot of this herb, I taste it in everything, and I do mean everything, including the guacamole.  😦  Internet research says that “Most people perceive the herb as a tart, lemon/lime taste”.  Not me.  Approximately 10% of the population has a genetic olfactory-receptor that is sensitive to the chemical and I guess I got that receptor.  One bright spot, Eric picked up a few different types of salsa for our chips and there was a very tasty fruity (guava) salsa that I loved.  As you can see below, they have quite a few things going on, but no where do I see the 8 letter word – cilantro.

Beer!  Okay, back to the reason for the journey. I got a brown ale that I really enjoyed.  Something minor that I really, really enjoyed……………the 5 oz pour.  This is perfect for me since I turned into the designated driver later in the afternoon – a baby beer.

While the taps aren’t readable, I included the shot because of the droid.  Around the 240 seat taproom, nostalgic remembrances and geek culture abound.  I would guess that every time you stop by, you could find something you missed before.

Their history………founded in 2012 in a small building behind a massage parlor, it was the dream of two friends.  Their aim was to make ‘world class’ beer, utilizing the best of local and exotic ingredients from across the globe.  they create a lot of unusual and ‘ancient’ beers.  Eric had a german beer that was common 300+ years ago.

 

Second stop was the Red Cypress Brewery in Winter Springs.

Again, love a brewery that has a small pour – just saying.

At this brewery, every decision is guided by ‘Is it going to make our beer better?’.  They are proud that the founding members and management comprise natives from Central Florida and UCF alumni – way cool.  They opened their doors in October of 2015 and pay homage to Florida oddities when branding their beer.  We had to explain to Adrienne what ‘Spook Hill’ was (besides one of their beers).  If you don’t know, google it.

They can their beers and continue to distribute across Florida and recently expanded to the Southeast states.

Eric tried an intriguing beer that all 3 of us agreed would be great as dessert.  Then we thought, why not!

After our ale trail adventure, we headed to the Darden house for dinner, more on that at the bottom.  Our thought was to substitute the liquid in the brownie mix with the beer and create a syrup by concentrating the beer on a back burner.  What an incredible idea and………………absolutely delicious!  But I digress.  Back to the beer.

Our third and last stop was Bowigens Beer Company in Casselberry, FL.  It’s a small brewery with a limited number of good beers.

Bowigens began when two long time friends met while playing in bands around Orlando and eventually decided to stop traveling, break away from the music scene and dive into a new adventure – crafting beer!  Now I understand the graphics and items on the wall, kind of.

They had a huge wall labeled ‘What’s on Tap’.  It showcased what they currently had available and the other side (not shown) what will be released soon.

Throughout the afternoon, Adrienne was able to add 3 growlers to her growing collection.  I’m being selective in my purchases, staying to the tasting glasses when I find a beer I really love.

So that dessert pictured up at the top of the posting, it was accompanied by jalapeno-cheese grits, smothered green beans and Adrienne’s fried fish (trout) – caught a few weeks ago.

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While normally I’m all about the scavenger hunt, pacing ourselves to enjoy the breweries and having a (relaxed) plan is a lot of fun – who knew.  We’ll intersperse the ale trail visits between our other adventures.

 

Ginny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric got a call over the weekend that his aunt was not doing well and to prepare himself for the worst. As things turned out, we needed to be in Taylor, AR within a week.

Flights were hard to come by both coming and going.  We needed to fly into Shreveport,  LA  then drive almost an hour to where his family lives.

 

We both worked before  heading to Orlando International Airport early afternoon.  There was an article in the local paper that parking at the airport was getting tight.  OMG!  At terminal A, signs said they were full, but we didn’t believe them.  You see for years we have parked in an area, known mostly by locals – and hard to find – ‘terminal top parking’.  Once we entered the garage, the ramp to go up to our secret spot was blocked off.   Guess we should have believed the signage.  😦  There were cars everywhere going up and down the aisles.  Quite frankly, it was a zoo.

Plan B (which I should call Plan C) had us driving to the new terminal (which is not open yet) and park in that garage structure (which is called Parking C). Yikes!  Timing wise we were ok with catching our flights, unlike other conversations we overheard.  On the upside, we will probably never see this terminal this empty.

Of course the airport had to have another spur for their shuttle and man, this shuttle was brand, spanking new.  Definitely had that ‘new car’ smell.

We were able to get a different view of the air-traffic control  tower.

Even though Terminal C is not opening until 2020………..thank goodness for the parking garage being complete.

Our flight got to Atlanta on time and although we could not get into the Priority Club due to capacity, we made good use of our time by grabbing food from The Varsity.

The Gordy family started this place in 1928 while the interstate nearby  was a grass field. This location is now downtown Atlanta. They’ve got multiple locations in Atlanta in addition to their location in the airport. It’s basically a hot dog and burger joint and they’ve developed their own language for ordering.  Here’s how you order:

After a short time we were finally able to enter the club and partake of their refreshments.

Okay, so it’s ‘cool’ to be able to enter this restricted area, but with this being  my 3rd club to visit, I’m not really impressed about Atlanta’s Priority Club.  Food is nothing special, only a few options and anyone with a sweet tooth gets to choose from a few options of  packaged cookies normally available at a grocery store.

Made it to Shreveport that night, found our hotel and after picking up his sister the next day, we headed to north to meet up with the family.  I had forgotten how a small close-knit community welcomes and takes care of their own.  Friends, neighbors and church members brought over food to feed the entire family our first evening in town.  Eating at his aunt’s house was bittersweet for me.    This is where we stayed when we came as a couple.  I believe his aunt would have enjoyed our gathering at her house as she offered up her home for countless family events in the past.

While sadness prevails at a time like this, there’s also life.  So many little ones were running around or being held or being fed or………you get the picture.  Life continues and blossoms. Eric’s cousins have grown up, gotten married and have families of their own.  With Eric’s yearly visits deer hunting, he’s been able to keep up with most of those details – me, not so much.

Eric made it his mission to reintroduce me to the area.  We drove around, visited family when we could and enjoyed life in a small town.

During part of our travels, we went through a town called Plain Dealing LA.  How do you cool off when there’s no community pool…..………….your local fire department!  These firemen were much appreciated by the kids playing in the water spray.

Another day we visited Ruston, LA for their annual peach festival.  Who knew that LA could grow peaches? I had a fabulous peach-lemonade that was mighty tasty.  It was perfect for the super hot day we visited.

Trip Advisor talked about several restaurants, but one stood out – Ponchatolous.

Upon arrival to Ruston, we discovered it was right downtown in the middle of the Festival.  We figured the 30 minute wait would be well-spent perusing the festival.   Fairly quickly we were seated and we started with fried green tomatoes, followed by seafood gumbo (Eric) and fried mini meat (beef & pork) pies for me.  My mini pies were perfect!  Lots of crust, a good dipping sauce and just enough filling.

On the way out-of-town we found a farm stand that had peaches we could purchase.  Let’s just say that were sweet and juicy and WAY better than any I’ve bought at our grocery stores.

One morning, we had breakfast at another aunt’s house and while the breakfast goodies (and company) were excellent……………..

…………..I really enjoyed the walk and personal tour in her backyard fenced garden.

She mentioned a rose called Seven Sisters.  It intrigued me and I later discovered it’s an heirloom rose that flourishes in the South. Named due to the flower clusters, typically with 7 blooms.  I believe she mentioned that she got a shoot from a friend, stuck it in the ground and it flourished.

We spent some time with Eric’s uncle and while I grew up in a rural area, my parents didn’t farm.  I couldn’t resist a photo of his white cows (semmital crossed with Brahma cows).  Eric explained that his uncle kept the gentlest cows from each birthing.  Any cow showing too much ‘crazy spirit’ was sold off.

Then there was a story about this pipe fence.  The pipe was used for drilling, but it broke loose, falling hundreds of feet, curling upon impact.  When the pipes were eventually retrieved, they could no longer be used for that purpose.  His uncle had a use for those pipes, and this is the result.  Interesting how ‘up-cycling’ (the latest trendy phrase) can bring beauty to a thing of necessity.  I couldn’t figure out how to get the best photo, but from a distance, the charm was apparent.

One of Eric’s cousins has taken a family outpost and created a retreat for their kids and their families.  I’m simply calling it The Farm.  These two buildings  was to be our home for the next several days while we visited family.

The cabin housed a king-sized bed with a full bathroom.

The brick building was the main hub for family gatherings.  Leather seating and antique furniture mixed in with the modern-day appliances and a long farm table was picture perfect and almost a shame we had it all to ourselves.

Eric cooked a few breakfasts and both were excellent:  eggs Benedict w/ fruit on the left and fried eggs & bacon with English muffins, topped with peach jam on the right.

Yes, these are cows, just regular mixed breed cows, but they were part of our peaceful week in LA, surrounding us while we stayed at  The Farm.

Family gatherings for this purpose are not truly wanted but do have a healing infuence.  Coming together from across the land allows those in attendance to share fond memories and stories while forgeing  friendships we carry with us, long after leaving the area.

One morning I got up and walked the lane while the sun was trying to peek through the clouds.  It’s a memory that I want to keep, especially when I”m back home and everything is getting hectic.  Peaceful and quietly magical.

 

Ginny